Chimpanzee 1957

This is an oil on canvas painting of a Chimpanzee by Francis Bacon. The image presents us with an animal perched above what looks like a stage. In Britain, after the Second World War, many artists turned to existentialism. Existentialism holds that our existence precedes our essence and that humans are free and responsible for their actions. Bacon's paintings of figures, often distorted or isolated, reflected the anxieties and uncertainties of the post-war era. How do we understand the role of the animal, here? Is it confined to an empty enclosure, performing for an absent audience, or is it something else? What is the role of the institution, in this case perhaps the zoo, or even the museum itself, that frames our encounter with the non-human world? To know more about Bacon, you might consult exhibition catalogues and biographies that trace his artistic development and influences. These can shed light on the philosophical context that shaped his vision.